Florida beats Taiwan to win Little League World Series championship, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the sixth inning of the Little League World Series championship game, the score is tied between Florida and Taiwan. Taiwan is just three outs away from winning the title, but the Florida team is refusing to quit. Florida's leadoff batter, Jacob Gonzalez, is hit by a pitch, sparking some controversy as Taiwan argues the call. After review, the umpires rule that Gonzalez was indeed hit by the pitch and he takes first base. The next Florida batter, Liam Ohms, singles to center field, but a great catch by Taiwan's outfielder keeps the runner at first. Florida is down to its final out. Pitcher Ethan Gow battles the next batter, striking him out looking. But the umpire then calls a ball on the next pitch, evening the count. Gow winds up and delivers another strikeout, but the umpire surprisingly rules it a ball, keeping the inning alive for Florida. With the game on the line, Florida's Aiden Sholtes steps up and draws a walk, putting the tying run on base. Taiwan's coaches make a defensive switch, moving their left and right fielders to try to prevent a run at the plate. On a 2-0 pitch, Sholtes rips a single over the shortstop's head. The Taiwan outfielder unleashes a cannon throw to the plate, but the Florida pitcher cuts it off, getting the out at third base as the crowd erupts in cheers. The game goes to extra innings in the top of the seventh. Taiwan loads the bases with one out, but Florida's pitcher, Liam Ohms, battles back, getting two huge pop-outs to escape the jam. In the bottom of the eighth, Florida lays down a perfect bunt and Taiwan's defense breaks down, allowing the winning run to score and giving Florida its first-ever Little League World Series championship. As the Florida players celebrate, their coaches console the heartbroken Taiwan players, showing sportsmanship and compassion in the emotional moment.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentTaiwan needs three more outs, and they win the Little League World Series,
but this team from Florida just does not quit,
and we open up the bottom of the sixth inning,
which is the last inning in the Little League World Series
with a little bit of controversy because that 3-1 pitch hits him in the hands,
and they say hit by pitch, and over on Taiwan's side,
they're like, oh, wait, hold up, hold up, can we get a replay?
Can we get a replay?
Because his foot was on the line, and then it hits his arm and his hand.
They're like, yeah, he's standing over the plate, and it hits him.
He's standing over the plate, his arm is over the plate, and it hits him.
Can you guys check it out?
And he's like, okay, we'll check it out.
So here it is, and yeah, it hits his hands, doesn't really try to move his hands,
and let's look at this, and his hands are over the plate,
and the ball is traveling over the plate, says my expert graphic,
and it looked like he didn't try to get out of the way,
and the strike zone is under the armpits and over the plate,
and it says situation number one, if the batter takes his position in the batter's box
with his arm extending into the strike zone,
and the batter is hit on the arm by the pitch while not swinging,
it's a dead ball and a strike.
Okay, I think that's what it was, and then situation number three also comes into play.
If the batter takes a proper position in the batter's box and the pitch is inside,
and the batter makes no attempt to avoid,
being touched by the pitch, it's a ball.
So I think it's situation number one, but they say, nope, hit by pitch.
He goes to first, so all right.
Coach is like, hmm, okay, next batter.
He sends one into center field.
Great catch by number eight.
Throws it back.
Okay, one out, one runner on.
Pitcher loves it.
Thank you.
Nice catch.
That's what he said, not word for word.
And then we got strike one on this batter.
Oh, and one, that pitch, ball one, that pitch, strike two.
Okay, one and two.
Twirling them up there.
That strike three, no.
Pitcher wanted that one.
Pitcher, ooh, usually a ball off the plate in Little League.
And then I think after everything that's happened, the first base umpire's like,
yeah, maybe we give one to Taiwan, you know?
And he's like, yeah, he did.
Oh, no way.
He can't believe it because no.
No, that's not.
No, but all's fair now.
It's maybe we're balanced up.
Okay, so that was strike three.
And now, now Florida's down to their last out.
And strike one is a hard foul ball.
Ooh.
The 0-1 way outside.
Just set up outside, hit the target outside.
That's not a strike.
So we got a two and one count.
Outside again.
That's the sequence.
Coming back in and a walk.
Okay, a walk.
Now, this is interesting.
They come out and they switch their left and right fielder.
They want the kid with the better arm to go to left field in case there's a play at the plate
with the righty up who's more apt to hit it to left field.
You don't see that defensive switch a lot.
First pitch is a ball.
Second pitch is a ball.
2-0 pitch is hit to left field.
Over the shortstop's head.
And there's the new player coming in his arm.
He guns it home.
Oh, the pitcher cut it off to get the out at third where they dropped the ball.
The crowd starts going crazy.
Let's go.
Woo.
Woo.
Let's go.
Stand up.
Let's go.
Let's go.
And then pitcher looks at the coach.
He's like, coach, right in my face.
What are you?
Oh.
All right.
All right.
It was a curveball on a 2-0 pitch.
Great swing by the batter.
Wow.
Look at his eyes.
Locked in, focused the whole way.
Watch it until it hits the bat.
They mean it when they teach you that, kids.
OK.
The next batter comes up, and he's going to ground out to third for the last out.
If you want to go look back, we can take another look at this.
I think in Little League.
It would have been tough.
There's the ball coming in and the catcher.
By the time he catches it, let's say we're here.
He's going to have to catch it, swing around, make the tag.
I don't know if he does that.
It got cut off to get the out at third.
Kind of a good play because they should have had the out there, I think.
I don't think they were going to get him.
Game goes to extras.
We're in the top of the seventh inning.
There's one out, and we're going to have a base runner there and a single up the middle.
And then another base runner ripped down third.
And then listen to what?
Listen to what the pitcher says when his coach comes out.
Seems like they're getting on the fastball, so we're going to get him to warm up.
You're going there.
I'm going to get out of this inning.
Yeah, I know.
This kid was sick the game before.
Couldn't even play.
Well rested, though.
Comes in in a big spot.
I'm going to get out of this inning, coach.
Don't even think about pulling me.
0-2 to the next batter.
Popped up.
Catcher snaps in.
Grabs it.
Doesn't even take the mask off.
Out number one.
Next batter comes up.
First pitch, another pop-up.
Foul territory.
Third baseman wanders over.
Grabs it.
I'm going to get out of this inning, coach, and I mean it.
Let's jump to the bottom of the eighth inning.
Now you have a runner.
Starts the inning on second.
If they score, they win.
The very first pitch, bottom of the eighth.
The kid lays down a beautiful bunt, and Taiwan, oh, their defense fails them.
The winning run scores.
Florida wins.
The first team from Florida ever win the Little League World Series,
and we're going to have just some heartbreak.
Oh, my God.
Some heartbreaking, some joyous scenes.
Just heartstrings getting tugged on from the joy of Florida,
from the pain of Taiwan.
Here's a replay first of the defense and what happened.
So he's going to lay down the bunt.
The third baseman, you're going to see him running into your screen,
crashing to protect the bunt, and the shortstop covered third,
and then the second baseman covered second instead of covering first,
and the first baseman left the bag.
Leaving the pitcher no one to throw to, and that is, it's just unfortunate.
But I don't know if they would have got the out anyway.
It's a really well-executed bunt.
And you just got the second baseman in tears, and credit to the Florida coach.
Instead of celebrating with his boys, he goes and comforts the second baseman
and probably whispers some really nice stuff in his ear in that moment.
And then you can see the other players on Florida giving hugs right away.
You see him coming over to give hugs, throwing support to the kids from Taiwan,
another hug over here, another hug from the head coach to another kid,
and then in the background you have a hug.
So it made me tear up a little when I saw that because that's what it's supposed to be.
You don't want the kids to be heartbroken.
You want the kids to be happy.
But it's very nice to see the kids taking a moment of putting their joy on pause
to say good game and console the other ones.
It's just like human, you know, which is pretty nice.
So that was the Little League World Series.
Congrats to Florida.
Never died.